this is "nightline." >> tonight, from fame to shame. the playboy playmate who took a picture of a naked 70-year-old woman in a locker room and posted it online. what she's saying tonight about body shaming and why she thinks she should have known better. >> you know, i've gotten that i'm too short to do certain jobs. that i'm too skinny. >> those snap decisions made on social media that can wreak havoc with far-reaching effects. and after nearly a lifetime of delighting fans in comic books and television, wonder woman is finally hitting the big screen. >> it feels like we've been working on this for three years and finally the baby's going to come out. >> how gal gadot using military training and super-human moves to inspire a new generation of

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superhuman girls. hitting bottom. days after her shocking and bloody photo stunt, her career taking a nose dive, comedienne kathy griffin refusing to back down. >> i'm not afraid of donald trump. he's a bully. >> first the "nightline 5." >> for great skin you don't have to go to a spa. just go to bed. new aveeno overnight facial. the benefits of a spa facial overnight. aveeno. naturally beautiful results. introducing new parodontax, the tooth paste that helps prevent bleeding gums. if you spit blood when you brush or floss you could have gum problems. help stop the journey of gum disease. >> number one in just 60 seconds.

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good evening. thank you for joining us. she's a celebrated playboy playmate who fired a torpedo into her own career with a single click from her phone. dani mathers speaking out after pleading no contest to invasion of privacy charges for toast posting the photo of an unsuspecting woman naked online. she's not the only one learning the hard way about mistakes we can't take back on social media. here's abc's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: all it took was a single snapchat to turn dani mathers from playmate to pariah. >> to hide out at my mother's house at age 30. because of something i've done. it just felt really low. >> reporter: last year the 2015 playmate of the year was on top of the world, making videos for "playboy." >> very nice, dani, do that again, beautiful. >> reporter: one afternoon last july at her los angeles gym, she took this picture of a 70-year-old woman in a locker

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room nude. and posted it with the caption "if i can't unsee this then you can't either." >> "playboy's" 2015 playmate of the year facing backlash -- >> the model took a photo of the naked woman and posted it on snapchat. >> lapd has launched a criminal investigation -- >> reporter: she says it was someone else who combined the photo with this picture of her from the same day. the combination went viral and the backlash online immediate and relentless. people calling her repulsive and vile. accused of body shaming, mathers says she even got death threats. >> i had lost my privacy after taking privacy from somebody else. >> was it wrong to take the photo? was it wrong to post it? >> absolutely. >> yes on both accounts? >> yes on both accounts. >> reporter: mathers maintains she was trying to send the picture to a friend privately as part of an ongoing conversation but accidentally posted it publicly. >> it had no intent to be honest, i just finished an

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hour-long workout, sitting in a scalding hot sauna, i was exhausted, just in the middle of this conversation, and i literally just looked up, snapped a photo, and sent it. to what i thought was a friend. and it ended up being all of snapchat. >> reporter: she apologized online. >> that was absolutely wrong. and not what i meant to do. >> reporter: but that wasn't enough to stop the fallout. her once-promising career took a nose dive. her radio show appearances were canceled. modeling work dried up. her relationship with "playboy" ended. >> you went from being the playmate of the year to no longer being with the company because of this? >> yeah. it's been very hard financially, mentally. i worked very hard to get to that point. and kind of had to just say good-bye to it for now. >> reporter: authorities investigated the incident and charged her with criminal invasion of privacy. >> when you are undressed or partially undressed, you should be able to be sure that no one is going to, without your permission, distribute your

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photograph online for whatever reason. >> it wasn't just mean, it was illegal. did you know that? >> i didn't have an intention of breaking a law. i just wasn't thinking. >> reporter: mathers is represented by celebrity attorney tom known for defending michael jackson. >> none of us are perfect, we make mistakes throughout our lifeti lifetime. the question is how should a mistake be treated? >> call 911. >> reporter: she's not the first to make a mistake like this. >> oh, oh! seriously? >> yeah, seriously, get some help. >> reporter: dr. angeli, fourth year newer at resident, in the midst what was she said was an intoxicated temper tantrum while trying to get into someone else's uber. >> [ bleep ]. i'm a 5 foot girl who weighs 100 pounds. i'm getting really like belligerent right now.

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>> reporter: this drunken confrontation with her uber driver caught on camera and posted on social media. turned her into an internet villain. >> it's been horrible. my family, first of all, has been targeted. our home address was released. and people were showing up to the house. people were sending packages to the house. >> reporter: all this despite the fact that she immediately apologized to the driver and paid him damages. >> he accepted my apology. and i was very grateful he didn't press any charges. i had no further problems with him that night. >> reporter: but once the video started exploding on the internet, the judge and juries on social media began weighing in. calling her an arrogant drunk little brat, that she be charged with assault, should not be practicing medicine. her employer jackson health system put her on administrative leave and moved to terminate her. >> i would not wish this on my worst enemy. i've received death threats.

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i received messages people telling me, you should kill yourself, you don't deserve to live. multiple messages saying, you should have been raped that night. >> this poor girl had a bad day, and she's going to pay the price. we've all had a bad day, and we should consider ourselves lucky that we didn't get caught when we were talking to someone this way. >> all day, every day, it's something that i've learned from this, think before you act, think before you speak, before you type. >> reporter: dani mathers says she of all people should have known better, claiming she too has been body shamed. >> i've gotten that i'm too short to do certain jobs, i've beenha too skinny. >> can you understand how it might be hard for someone in the public to understand where you're coming from when i ask you about body shaming, you say yes, people tell me i'm too skinny? >> i do understand that that won't be perceived in a very easy way. but i do stand by that. i think there's all forms of bullying. >> reporter: mathers pled no contest in court last week.

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she was sentenced to 30 days of community service. what do you have to say to people who may watch this and think, you're pandering, you're just trying to say the things that they want to hear so that people won't hate you? >> i'm not a bully. i am a human who made an awful mistake. and it's something that can't be taken back. >> reporter: but that is little solace for the victim, who prosecutors say instantly recognized herself in the snap. >> obviously she was humiliated. and she didn't want to be a subject of such photograph. >> is there anything you want to say to her? >> i just want her to be able to move on and move forward in her life and not feel judged and not feel that she wasn't enough or that what she was doing was being ridiculed. because it had nothing to do with that. and that i'm so sorry. it was never my intention to hurt her. and that i hope that she can

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forgive me. i don't expect her to forget. i don't expect her to like me. i just -- i really want her forgiveness. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm kayna whitworth in los angeles. next, the role of a lifetime. how gal gadot is bringing one of america's most beloved superheroes to the big screen. this great country. ee my last wish is for you to do it for me, as a family. love, grandpa. ♪ let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together ♪ older grandaughter: it'll be alright. i know. grandson: how did you meet grandpa? grandmother: actually on a blind date. [ laughter ] i wish he was on the trip with us. he's sitting right between the boys in the back of the car. [ laughter ] ♪ america ♪ all come to look for america

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gender parity in the minds of fans and the world of superhe superheroes a woman can do everything a man can do. now a larger than life actress is finally giving the 76-year-old superhero her big-screen debut. here's abc's chris connelly. >> reporter: this weekend at movie theaters, the future is finally female. after years in gestation, wonder woman has arrived, giving its titular superhero w heere heroi time to shine on screen. from the origin female on the paradise island to exploits on the world war i battlefield. >> you certainly feel the pressure. this character means so much to so many. and you do feel the weight, the responsibility, by portraying her. >> reporter: yet it's sweet anticipation for wonder woman fans. and for 32-year-old star gal gadot. >> i feel like i'm standing on

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the diving board and i'm about to jump the highest jump. it feels like we've been working on this for three years and finally the baby's going to come out and it's just -- it's not going to be just me, just mine, it's going to be everyone's. >> reporter: five months pregnant with her second child during the film's reshoots. gadot, who did two years of military service in her native israel, says she sought to serve up a wonder woman both tender and tough. >> i wanted her to be very warm. warm character. very vulnerable. and full of hope and love. >> but you also kick a lot of -- >> ass, i know. i was a fencer for 12 years. i always enjoyed moving around and doing choreographies and expressing myself with my body. fighting is awesome, especially when you do it, you know, on such a big set with horses and

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with, you know, the rest of the women that were there with me, or men. >> reporter: or men. as the flying ace she rescues who leads her into early 20th century life. >> that's not going to work, please put the sword down. >> reporter: and up to the front lines. chris pine gets that this film has offered him insight into how the other half lives in hollywood. >> you have to come out of the grotto and do a lot of the things we've seen women in your position having to do over the years. >> yeah, yeah. you know, it's -- putting myself into a position where i'm objectified. i guess the novelty of it, i didn't mind it so much, i was like, well, screw it, it's about time, you know. >> reporter: she spent more than three-quarters of a century in the comics, as both an objective male fantasy and as a proto feminist "ms." magazine cover subject, wonder woman's been best known by her tv series incarnation from the 1970s which

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played for three seasons bit universally beloved lynda carter. she shared her affection for the character in 2005 with abc news. >> i got to tell you, i loved wonder woman too. i read the comic books. and i got to play her. i mean, how cool is that? >> women are the wave of the future. and sisterhood is stronger than anything. >> we were building the bridges for young girls today. they were going to be in a world where it was okay to be smart, okay to be beautiful, okay to be feminine, okay to be strong, okay to be athletic. >> reporter: thanked in the feature films and critics, carter had positive influences on the director patty jenkins. what were the wore values that wonder woman had that you were an advocate for as you set out to make your movie? >> i wanted her to not be a female superhero. she's a great superhero.

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and so the values were the balance, the goodness, the kindness, the positivity that she has always had and was created with. and lynda carter had done such a beautiful job of embodying. >> reporter: it's jenkins who conjures up the landscape populated solely by woman warriors. robin wright and gladiators connie nielsen among them. >> the most challenging thing i did in this movie was tone. a fantasy world to a period piece to a historical war context, which was surprising reality with a little bit of pop that made it feel like it lived up to the great graphic novel superhero genre comic books. >> i met with patty jenkins before there was even a script. what she explained to me that i really enjoyed is she wanted to make casablanca, a big old-fashioned romance under the guise of a superhero film.

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and she was given leeway to do that. >> reporter: the costuming first seen in "batman v. superman." and due to turn up in such future films with dc comic characters as "justice league," was key to her appeal. >> just by wearing it and looking into the mirror, it's like -- it hits you, okay, all right. now i got to play up to it. i had like seven or ten different costumes. for this movie. one is shinier, one is softer, one is heavier. so -- not that one. that's the comfy one. >> that's the comfy one? >> exactly. >> reporter: comfy since wonder woman was shot during the dead of english winter. >> she took being wonder woman incredibly seriously and she would never let us down. if that meant she alone was running across a field in a wonder woman suit while i was wearing a snowsuit designed for the climbers of everest, true fact.

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she would do it. >> it's true. red, big, puffy coat. onesie. that's what she wore. what i wore? you're asking? oh, not much. >> reporter: the same audience members whose hearts leapt to see daisy ridley wield the light saber in "star wars: the force awakens." may find wonder woman giving them some long-awaited moments of thrills and exhilaration. >> we saw it in 3d and i'm not a big 3d fan -- >> you look pretty good in 3d now. >> yeah. once "nightline" goes with 3d we know it's the end of the world, please don't do that, my god. the 3d was great. i'm telling you, there was this like collective -- palpable shift in the audience. especially when gal comes out of the trenches and it's like the slo-mo shot. it was incredible, incredible. >> i was stunned by the audience reaction. it was mind-blowing. >> reporter: could be the fulfillment of a dream the star

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had well before she was cast. >> there was a big lack of true, real representation of women on film. because usually we're the damsel in distress, we're the sidekick. we need to be rescued by the guy. and it's not the way it is in real life. in real life, women, we bring life. little did i know that i'm going to land this role soon after. >> reporter: for "nightline," chris connelly, abc news, los angeles. and next, crossing the line. what comedienne kathy griffin is now saying about the outrage over her truesome photo. why she's now calling herself the victim. (dog) mmm. this new beneful grain free is so healthy... oh! farm-raised chicken! mmm...that's some really good chicken. i don't think i've ever tasted chicken like this. what!? here come the accents. blueberries and pumpkin.

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finally tonight, after sparking days of outrage over her gruesome staged photo of what appears to be president trump, comedian kathy griffin is calling herself the victim. here's abc's david wright. >> i'm not afraid of donald trump. he's a bully. >> reporter: comedian kathy

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griffin now says she's the victim of her own prank to provoke the president. earlier this week she released a highly provocative image, holding up what appeared to be donald trump's severed head. >> i'm an out-there comedian, in your face comedian. >> reporter: at the white house the president was not exactly amused. and neither were his family members. countless others expressed outrage too, including the secret service who threatened to pay griffin a visit. she quickly backed down. >> i went way too far. >> reporter: now five of her upcoming performances have been canceled. cnn fired her from hosting new year's eve, a job she's done for a decade. and she says she's getting death threats. >> i don't think i will have a career after this. then i'm like, no, this isn't right. >> reporter: griffin's critics have little sympathy. they say she pushed it too far hoping to provoke people. that's exactly what she got.

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i'm david wright for "nightline" in washington. >> thank you for watching abc news, and as always, we're online at abcnews.com and our "nightline" facebook page. thanks for the company, america. have a good weekend.